ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in maternal serum at post-date follow-up can predict the mode of onset of spontaneous delivery in term pregnancies and the interval to delivery. STUDY DESIGN: Women at 40 completed weeks of gestation were recruited. The interval from CRP sampling to delivery and mode of onset of delivery were noted. RESULTS: Sixty women were divided into 3 groups according to the mode of onset of labor. Group A presented with spontaneous onset of contractions, Group B presented with pre-labor ruptured membranes (PROM), and Group C completed 42 weeks without spontaneous initiation of labor. There was no association between CRP values and latency from time of sampling to delivery. Mean serum CRP in Group B (12.7 mg/l) was significantly higher than in either Group A(7.2 mg/l) or Group C (10.2 mg/l) (p=0.01). In addition, CRP values in the upper quartile (>12.2 mg/l) had a 37.5%positive predictive value for PROM, with a negative predictive value of 93%. CONCLUSION: Women whose labor will start with PROM have higher CRP values at post-date follow-up than women whose labor starts otherwise.
